Tennis News

Alcaraz Aiming Higher: ‘I Came To Marbella To Learn’

Carlos Alcaraz is used to being the underdog in his matches. The 17-year-old Spaniard has competed against older, higher-ranked opponents as he contests his first tournaments at tour-level.

In Marbella, where he reached his first ATP semi-final in his sixth main draw appearance, he also learned to bottle down his nerves as he progressed further into the tournament – and the spotlight. 

But he never quite felt settled against countryman Jaume Munar in their hard-fought semi-final clash at the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open. More than just giving the hard-hitting teen a taste of his own medicine, Munar left Alcaraz without a Plan B for the first time this week to hand him a 7-6(4), 6-4 defeat.

“Munar is a great player. He played very well, and didn’t leave me with a lot of options,” Alcaraz reflected in his post-match press conference. “Nerves definitely had a role, because I wasn’t playing with clarity of thought. All I could think about was that I didn’t have any chances, that Munar was too solid – I was getting frustrated and wasn’t able to get out of it. 

“I was only thinking about how badly I was playing, or the mistakes, and not seeing beyond them. In this case, I was actually pushing Munar very hard. But all I could see was that I was making errors, errors, errors, and couldn’t look past that.”

It was a refreshingly mature self-assessment from the 17-year-old, who was bidding to become the youngest ATP Tour finalist since 17-year-old Rafael Nadal in Auckland in 2004. Armed with a big forehand and hailing from Spain, Alcaraz’s rapid rise has regularly drawn comparisons to Nadal.

Alcaraz showed the same fearless determination on court to take down two seeded opponents, Spaniard Feliciano Lopez and No. 26-ranked Casper Ruud. He delighted Spanish fans in Marbella with his electrifying forehand winners and never-say-die attitude. 

In the press room, another similarity to Nadal arose: rather than just hunting for positives, Alcaraz was determined to identify and correct his mistakes against Munar. An hour removed from the defeat, the loss still stung, but the Spaniard was already looking ahead. 

“Of course, it would have been great to win today and play an ATP Tour final. But now that I’m thinking about things with a little more calm, I’m leaving here with more experience and with good feelings,” he said. “You have to be able to look at the positive side of things. At the end of the day, I came here this week to learn and play some good matches, and I think I’ve been able to accomplish that.”

“There is something that I can learn from with this defeat,” Alcaraz added. “I have to learn from these situations, so the next time I am in a situation like this, hopefully it can go differently.”

Currently No. 132 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, the Spaniard is making strides toward another major milestone: a spot into the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan at the end of the season. Alcaraz is set to break the Top 8 with his performance in Marbella, seeking to qualify for the first time.

“Being able to qualify for the Next Gen Finals would be a very positive thing,” Alcaraz said. “It’s a reflection of the high level and hard work that I’ve been doing throughout the year. I hope to continue doing things well, working hard, and playing at a high level.

“But especially I want to keep learning from all of my matches – from all the defeats, all the victories, I want to keep learning and being who I am. I’m enjoying the journey.”

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The Last Time With… Laslo Djere

Laslo Djere will try to win his third ATP Tour title on Sunday when he plays Lorenzo Sonego in the final of the Sardegna Open in Cagliari.

If the Serbian triumphs, it will be the third consecutive year in which he has earned tour-level glory. The World No. 57 said that he doesn’t have any specific goals.

“I don’t make strict goals so that I tell myself, ‘I want to do this and this this year [I want to do that],’” Djere said. “But I have in my mind an idea of the things which would [make] me happy and satisfied and fulfilled.”

It’s safe to say lifting another trophy would fit into those categories. ATPTour.com recently caught up with the 25-year-old, who revealed the last time…

I missed a flight?
Actually I missed once 2016, but it was in transit and our first flight was late, so that’s why. But otherwise, I’ve never missed a flight because I got late to the airport or something like that. I don’t get to the airport too early, but one and a half to two hours, probably. 

I lost something important?
I got a bracelet from my girlfriend last month, and so far I can’t find it. She knows, I’ve had it for a while. It’s not that I just lost it immediately.

I went to a sports event that was not tennis?
In 2019 [I went] to a basketball game in Serbia. It was I think February. I didn’t go [to games] so much but once in a while I go and I like it. Unfortunately I don’t have the time to do it on a regular basis.

My favourite player was Dwyane Wade, so I supported the team where he was playing so for 10 or so years it was Miami Heat. I liked the way he was playing his game, how he handled the tough moments, the clutch moments and shots and how he was behaving. He was a fighter and you could see that fire inside of him. I really liked that kind of mentality and everything. Now I support LeBron James and the Lakers.

I achieved a big goal?
Last year winning Sardinia, it was my second ATP Tour title. But for something I did for the first time it was, I have to say, winning Rio – my first ATP title – breaking into maybe the Top 40. I was No. 37 after that tournament, so that was quite big for me.

I cooked for myself or someone else?
I do from time to time, but I’m not sure if I did it when I was at home before [travelling to] Argentina [in March]. Maybe I did an omelette or something like that for breakfast but nothing complicated. I mean I cook sometimes, dinner or something like that, but it’s not really that I really like it. But I really like to bake: some apple pie or brownies or cookies or some cheesecake, some things like that.

I met a childhood idol?
I can’t really remember. I mean when I was a kid maybe some tennis players that were my idols but I met them a long time ago I guess. Someone like Novak, I met him when I was a child. First I guess I saw him playing in the Davis Cup and that was also good for me and exciting. I can’t remember [the details] because I was really small and really young, but for sure it motivated me.

I paid to rent a tennis court?
Maybe during the off-season, balls, all the time except during tournaments. Back home I buy my balls. [People in Serbia recognize me], but sometimes I practise in private clubs so I have to pay for the courts as well.

Being a tennis player helped me?
Maybe in Australia. Before our flight back home, one of the Serbian guys, Nikola Cacic, helped us — me and my physio — with my luggage because we were overweight with out bags, so we put some stuff in Nikola’s bag.

I strung a tennis racquet?
I don’t know how to string them, so never. I don’t really have the desire to try. 

I asked someone for a selfie?
I was at a wedding and my friend was getting married and I asked him to take a selfie.

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Sunday Preview: Goffin To Face Cilic Challenge In Monte-Carlo 

David Goffin is no stranger to Monte-Carlo. The Belgian, who lives in the Principality, has made seven previous appearances at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and regularly trains at the tournament site. 

While the 2017 semi-finalist may feel comfortable in his surroundings when he steps onto Court Rainier III on Sunday, he will face an uncomfortable first-round opponent, Marin Cilic, in one of the picks of the first-round matches. 

“I am happy every year to play this tournament. It is the site [where] I am practising the whole year, so I am feeling really comfortable to play here,” said Goffin. “I have played some great matches here in Monte-Carlo during this tournament, so I have great memories. Hopefully this year will be another year with some good matches [and] a good level of tennis.” 

Goffin and Cilic are tied at 4-4 in their ATP Head2Head series, and Cilic owns a 2-1 advantage on clay. At last year’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, the former World No. 3 charged past Goffin 6-2, 6-2 in just 70 minutes. The Belgian, who captured his fifth ATP Tour crown at the Open Sud de France in February, will aim to recapture his best form in Monte-Carlo after early losses at his two most recent events in Dubai and Miami. 

“[Cilic] is a tough opponent. He is not super confident, I would say, at the moment. But he is still an amazing player,” said Goffin. “The way he is playing, the way he can hit the ball sometimes is amazing. [He is] serving really well and he can play well on clay. He beat me last year in Rome, but it is another year and another tournament. Hopefully I can play a better match and try to win this one.” 

Following Goffin and Cilic’s ninth ATP Head2Head meeting will be a clash between Jordan Thompson and Benoit Paire. Thompson will enter his encounter against Paire with a 1-0 ATP Head2Head record. The Aussie rallied from a set down to outlast Paire 6-7(3), 7-6(5), 6-4 on clay in Lyon four years ago. 

The Day One schedule also features four first-round doubles matches and the final round of the qualifying draw. Two-time ATP Masters 1000 doubles finalists Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev will meet Frenchmen Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin on Court Des Princes.  

Fabio Fognini, the 2019 singles champion, will return to Court Rainier III alongside doubles partner Diego Schwartzman. The Italian-Argentine tandem will battle Oliver Marach and Luke Saville for a spot in the second round. 

ORDER OF PLAY – SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2019  

COURT RAINIER III start 11:00 am 
Qualifying – B. Tomic (AUS) vs [11] S. Caruso (ITA)
[11] D. Goffin (BEL) vs M. Cilic (CRO)
J. Thompson (AUS) vs B. Paire (FRA)
F. Fognini (ITA)/D. Schwartzman (ARG) vs O. Marach (AUT) vs L. Saville (AUS) 

COURT DES PRINCES start 11:00 am 
Qualifying – D. Koepfer (GER) vs J. Londero (ARG)
Qualifying – H. Laaksonen (SUI) vs M. Cecchinato (ITA)
J. Chardy (FRA)/F .Martin (FRA) vs K. Khachanov (RUS)/A. Rublev (RUS) 

COURT 2 start 11:00 am 
Qualifying – S. Travaglia (ITA) vs K. Majchrzak (POL)
Not before 13:00
Qualifying – Y. Hanfmann (GER) vs A. Popyrin (AUS)
C. Garin (CHI)/G. Pella (ARG) vs J. Murray (GBR)/J. Struff (GER) 

COURT 9 start 11:00 am 
Qualifying – P. Martinez (ESP) vs F. Delbonis (ARG)
Not before 13:00
Qualifying – J. Sousa (POR) vs [ALT] T. Fabianno (ITA)
H. Kontinen (FIN)/E. Roger-Vasselin (FRA) vs [ALT] A. Bublik (KAZ)/D. Lajovic (SRB) 

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Sonego Clinches Cagliari Title With Vavassori; Now For Singles Crown

Lorenzo Sonego and Andrea Vavassori captured the Sardegna Open doubles title on Saturday after a 6-3, 6-4 victory over second seeds Simone Bolelli and Andres Molteni in 75 minutes.

They are the first Italians to win a tour-level doubles title on home soil since Daniele Bracciali and Giorgio Galimberti at Milan in February 2005 in Milan.

Sonego and Vavassori, who beat top seeds Marcelo Melo and Jean-Julien Rojer in the Cagliari first round this week, are now 8-6 as a team.

Sonego, who beat Taylor Fritz in the singles semi-finals earlier on Saturday, will now bid to become the first player to clinch the singles and doubles titles at same event since Feliciano Lopez at the 2019 cinch Championships in London. The last Italian to complete a title ‘double’ was Matteo Berrettini at the 2018 Swiss Open Gstaad.

Italian Bolelli and Argentine Molteni reached 2019 VTB Kremlin Cup final in their only other ATP Tour event as a team. Bolelli drops to 6-9 in team finals, while Molteni is now 6-5.

It was the first time at least three Italians had contested an ATP Tour doubles final since 1998 Casablanca (Gaudenzi/Nargiso d. Brandi/Messori).

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Quiz: Do You Know Your Monte-Carlo Tennis History?

Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev will lead the way this week at the season’s first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event, the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

But before the action begins in the Principality, find out how well you know your tournament history. You might remember that defending champion Fabio Fognini was in deep trouble in his first match here in 2019, but do you remember against whom that was? Who ended Nadal’s memorable 46-match Monte-Carlo winning streak?

Take the quiz, share your results and challenge your tennis friends to see who does best!

Need to brush up on your Monte-Carlo knowledge? Check out these resource pages:

Tournament Profile | All You Need To Know

Click here to stay informed all year with tennis news from the ATP Tour.

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Carreno Busta To Meet Munar In All-Spanish Marbella Final

Top seed Pablo Carreno Busta was made to work after claiming a one-sided opening set against Albert Ramos-Vinolas on Saturday, fighting through 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(5) to book a spot into the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open final.

Carreno Busta improved to 3-1 in the ATP Head2Head after claiming his third clay-court victory over his countryman in Marbella. Their fourth clash seemed like it was going to be a quick win for Carreno Busta, who soon took control on Estadio Manolo Santana.

“It was so close. I don’t know what happened in the second set,” Carreno Busta said in an on-court interview. “At the beginning of the match, I was very focussed on my game and being aggressive. After that, Albert of course started to push [back] more and [I] started to lose my level a little bit. 

“I just kept fighting all the time, and I want to thank everyone [in the crowd] for their support. This is what we missed last year, the crowd. It’s very important to play these kinds of very close matches with a crowd like this.”

The top seed was overpowering Ramos-Vinolas from the baseline, and finding joy by injecting variety into their exchanges with changes of pace and quick hands at the net. Carreno Busta took a commanding 5-0 lead before Ramos-Vinolas found his footing, but he was soon in for a battle as his countryman found his range in the second set.

Ramos-Vinolas’ serve was firing, and he raised his level to take control of the rallies. In the opening set, Ramos-Vinolas won only one point from 10 off of his second serve, and was hitting 56 per cent (14/25) of first serves. He had greatly improved his numbers and found more first serves (21/28) in the second. For the 12th time in his last 13 matches, Ramos-Vinolas sent them into a deciding set (8-3).

The fourth seed carried that positive momentum as he bossed proceedings in the decider, and was two points from victory as he served for the match at 5-4. But a double fault and errant forehand from Ramos-Vinolas handed Carreno Busta a lifeline to level the score at 5-5. He needed three match points in the decider, sealing the victory after two hours and 11 minutes for a spot into his eighth career final.

He will meet first-time ATP Tour finalist Jaume Munar in the championship match. Munar improved his overall record in Marbella to 12-2 on Saturday after winning a grueling 7-6(4), 6-4 battle against 17-year-old Carlos Alcaraz.

Munar, 23, was contesting his ninth consecutive match in Marbella after reaching the ATP Challenger Tour final last week, at this same venue, for the second year in a row. He maintained his momentum at the ATP 250 event, dropping just three games against second seed Fabio Fognini along the way.

“I feel happy and excited. I’ve been working a lot during the past [few] months,” Munar said. “It’s a gift for me to be here in a final, and especially in Marbella which is one of my favourite places. I feel excited… I have no words.”

Munar stayed calm as he weathered nearly two hours of Alcaraz’s huge groundstrokes. The 17-year-old frequently blasted highlight-reel worthy winners off his forehand, but Munar stayed toe-to-toe by matching his aggression. They stayed deadlocked into the tie-break, where Munar finally pulled away to take the opening set.

The 23-year-old broke first in the second set after a marathon 10-minute game, converting his sixth break point with a wicked passing shot up the line. It was a strategy that paid dividends for Munar, who retrieved everything Alcaraz sent his way and waited patiently for a chance to pull his opponent away from the baseline.

Although he was broken while serving for the match, Munar redeemed himself emphatically a game later with another screaming passing shot to set up match point. He closed out the victory to reach his first ATP-level final, where he will face countryman Carreno Busta in an all-Spanish final.

“A difficult match for sure, but I’ve been through difficult matches all week long. Pablo is also a very hard hitter and an intense player,” Munar said. “It’s going to be something similar [to playing Alcaraz] but of course, Pablo has a lot more experience. He has won titles in the last years, and he’s one of the best players in the world. We know each other a lot. I have all the best wishes for tomorrow, but it’s going to be a tough one.”

Did You Know?
Four players from the same country are in the semi-finals of an ATP Tour event for the first time in 17 years (2004 Valencia). Now and then, four Spaniards accomplished the feat at a clay court event in Spain held in the month of April.

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Monte-Carlo Scouting Report: Nadal Chases 12th Title, Djokovic Is Back

One week ago in Miami, Hubert Hurkacz broke new ground for Poland by becoming the first singles player from his country to win an ATP Masters 1000 title. Now, the world’s best will tackle the year’s first clay-court Masters 1000 event at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

Rafael Nadal will aim to extend his own records, Novak Djokovic will try to claim his third title in the Principality and much more. ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch in Monte-Carlo.

View Draws: Singles | Doubles

1) Nadal’s Chase For No. 12: Nadal will attempt to secure a record-extending 12th Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters title in the Principality. The lefty owns a 71-5 record at the tournament, where he has fallen short of the quarter-finals just once, and that occasion came on his debut in 2003 as a 16-year-old (he defeated World No. 7 Albert Costa in the second round). The third seed, who fell in the 2019 semi-finals against Fabio Fognini, will begin his run this year against Adrian Mannarino or a qualifier. Sixth seed Andrey Rublev is a potential quarter-final foe.

Nadal can reclaim No. 2 in the FedEx ATP Rankings from Daniil Medvedev if he reaches the final and the Russian does not make the semi-finals. The Spanish superstar can also achieve the feat if he lifts the trophy and Medvedev does not advance to the championship match.

2) Djokovic Is Back: World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has not competed since claiming a record ninth Australian Open title in February. The Serbian, who also won both his matches at the ATP Cup, will now chase his third Monte-Carlo crown. Notably, the 33-year-old has not advanced past the quarter-finals at the Masters 1000 event since triumphing in 2015. The top seed will need to be sharp immediately, since he will play red-hot #NextGenATP star Jannik Sinner or 2017 Monte-Carlo finalist Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the first round. Nadal and Medvedev are in the opposite half of the draw.

3) Medvedev’s Memories: Many fans might know that Medvedev is a three-time Masters 1000 titlist. But what they might not realise is that the Russian star made his first semi-final at this level in Monte-Carlo in 2019. That year, Medvedev defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas and Djokovic en route to the last four. The second seed will try to go even further this edition, which will mark his fourth main draw appearance in the tournament. Medvedev will play Filip Krajinovic or recent Doha champion Nikoloz Basilashvili in his opener, with defending champion Fabio Fognini lurking as a potential third-round opponent.

4) Rublev On A Roll: Nobody has more wins on the ATP Tour this season than Andrey Rublev (20-4) and he will try to maintain his momentum in the Principality. The Russian is only 1-3 at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. Those losses came against Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem and Fognini, who went on to win the title that year. Rublev will be confident after reaching his first Masters 1000 semi-final in Miami, and he will begin his campaign against Monagesque wild card Lucas Catarina or a qualifier.

5) Karatsev’s Debut: Russian sensation Aslan Karatsev has been the breakthrough star of the tennis world in 2021 thanks to his shock run to the Australian Open semi-finals and his victory in Dubai. The 27-year-old will break new ground in Monte-Carlo, where he will not just compete in his first Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, but his first tour-level main draw on clay. Karatsev has only played ATP Tour qualifying on clay once, and that was in Kitzbuhel in 2014. The Russian will have his hands full in his opener against Italian teen Lorenzo Musetti.

6) Sinner Shining: Jannik Sinner made a dream run to the Miami Open presented by Itau final, where he fell one victory short of becoming the youngest champion in tournament history. The 19-year-old will try to continue his impressive play in Monte-Carlo, where he will play former finalist Ramos-Vinolas in the first round. If the #NextGenATP star wins, he will face World No. 1 Djokovic for the first time. They are familiar with each other, having trained together. Sinner’s coach, Riccardo Piatti, has also worked with Djokovic.

7) Fabio Former Champ: Fognini will happily return to the Monte-Carlo Country Club, the site of his greatest victory two years ago. He stunned two of the top three players in the FedEx ATP Rankings — Nadal and Zverev — en route to becoming the first Italian Masters 1000 champion in series history. Fognini will attempt to successfully defend his trophy, beginning with a clash against Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, who has recently brought David Nalbandian onto his team. Fognini could play second seed Medvedev in the third round.

8) #NextGenATP Wild Cards: Two of the tournament’s four wild cards were given to #NextGenATP stars: Musetti and Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune. Musetti recently became the youngest player in the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, and he appears to only be getting better. The 19-year-old Italian reached his first ATP 500 semi-final in Acapulco and made the third round in Miami. He will try to slow down scorching-hot Russian Karatsev in the first round. Junior World No. 1 Rune of Denmark, who is 17, made the Santiago quarter-finals as a qualifier earlier this year, and he will make his Masters 1000 debut against fellow Scandinavian Casper Ruud of Norway. Rune recently spent a week training with Djokovic in Monaco.

9) Will Mektic/Pavic Stay Hot? Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic are the second seeds at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, but they will be the favourites at the first clay-court Masters 1000 event of the season. The Croatians have already won four titles in 2021, including an impressive victory in Miami. Mektic triumphed in the Principality in 2019 alongside another Croatian, Franko Skugor. The top seeds in Monaco will be Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, with Australian Open champions Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek among the teams to watch. Seventh seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut were victorious here in 2016.

10) Singles Stars Playing Doubles: Will a singles star be able to make a deep run in the doubles draw? World No. 2 Medvedev will compete alongside Brazilian Marcelo Demoliner and Stefanos Tsitsipas will play with brother Petros Tsitsipas. Singles teams that could be threats include reigning Rolex Paris Masters champions Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz as well as Karen Khachanov and Rublev, who have made two Masters 1000 doubles finals together. Grigor Dimitrov will team with David Goffin and Fognini will play with Diego Schwartzman.

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Mektic/Pavic Chase More Masters 1000 Success In Monte-Carlo

Miami Open presented by Itau champions Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic will chase their second ATP Masters 1000 trophy of the season at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

Mektic, who won the 2019 title alongside Franko Skugor, and Pavic will face singles stars Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin or Marcelo Demoliner and Danill Medvedev in their opening match. The second seeds are joined in the bottom quarter of the draw by 2016 champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.

View Monte-Carlo Doubles Draw

Mektic and Pavic own a 25-3 record this season and have already lifted four ATP Tour trophies in 2021. Prior to clinching the Miami title, the Croatian pair also triumphed at the Antalya Open, the Murray River Open and the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos will aim to capture their third Masters 1000 trophy as a team. The fourth seeds, who headline the third quarter of the draw, won three clay-court events last season, including the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.

The Spanish-Argentine duo will face French pair Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin or two-time Masters 1000 finalists Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev in the second round. The third quarter also features a first-round clash between eighth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau and wild cards Petros Tsitsipas and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

In the top half of the draw, top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah lead the way. The 17-time tour-level team titlists will attempt to double their 2021 trophy count in Monte-Carlo, following their title run at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last month.

Cabal and Farah will face reigning Rolex Paris Masters champions Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz or Monegasque wild cards Romain Arneodo and Hugo Nys in their tournament opener. The Colombians are also joined in the top quarter by sixth seeds Wesley Koolhof and Lukasz Kubot and singles stars Fabio Fognini and Diego Schwartzman.

The second quarter is led by the two teams which contested the Australian Open final in February: Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek and Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury. Dodig and Polasek, who lifted the trophy at Melbourne Park in February, have competed in two finals this season (1-1). Ram and Salisbury have reached the semi-finals or better at their three most recent events.

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Sonego Fights Past Fritz, One Step Away From Cagliari Title

Lorenzo Sonego is one step away from becoming the first Italian for 15 years to capture an ATP Tour clay-court title on home soil after advancing to the Sardegna Open final on Saturday.

The 25-year-old will be bidding for his second trophy after he battled hard to overcome second-seeded American Taylor Fritz 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 in two hours and 39 minutes in Cagliari. Sonego led by a set and 3-0 before Fritz started his comeback.

Sonego, who is one of 10 Italians in the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings, will next face Serbia’s Laslo Djere in Sunday’s title match. Sonego is level at 1-1 with Djere in their ATP Head2Head series.

Former World No. 25 Filippo Volandri was the last Italian to lift a tour-level trophy on home soil at Palermo (d. Lapentti) in October 2006. Sonego captured his first crown at the 2019 Antalya Open (d. Kecmanovic).

Third seed Sonego made the breakthrough at 2-2 by converting his sixth break point on the back of three powerful forehands. While Fritz was able to level at 4-4 with a deep forehand, Sonego broke immediately to love. From 4-4 in the first set, Sonego won five straight games as the World No. 34 forced Fritz to work hard for every point.

Fritz ended the streak at 0-3 in the second set and Sonego blinked, letting the 23-year-old American back into their fourth ATP Head2Head meeting. Fritz went on to clinch his fourth straight game and eventually levelled the score by clinching the 64-minute set when Sonego struck a backhand into the net.

Sonego regrouped to break Fritz with a drop shot winner in the first game of the third set, and broke once again to take a 3-0 advantage after three consecutive forehands. Fritz continued to fight, but Sonego hammered home his advantage for a place in his first clay-court final.

Djere dominated fourth-seeded Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-2, 6-0 in the second semi-final, which lasted just 52 minutes.

Djere took early control and from 3-2 in the first set, the World No. 57 won nine straight games. The 25-year-old, who lost just nine of his service points, is through to his third ATP Tour final and is now 10-1 lifetime on Italian soil. In October 2020, Djere clinched his second tour-level title in Sardinia (d. Cecchinato).

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